


Je t'adore, aussi

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-24
Updated: 2007-11-24
Packaged: 2019-01-19 19:12:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12416262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: “Teddy, I think the answer to your question, is yes: everybody has been expecting us to get together for ages.”� Victoire frowned. “I think there was a betting pool at one point too . . .”�





	Je t'adore, aussi

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**A/N:** This is my first ever fic! Because of this, reviews would be really appreciated, so that I can improve. I really value your opinions, and I'd be incredibly grateful if you could let me know what you think. Thank you :)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Teddy, it’s ten o’clock. You’re going to be late.” 

Andromeda Tonks sat at a small, round table, absentmindedly tapping her fingers on its surface for lack of a better thing to do. Sighing, she gave the kitchen a once over, taking in the mountain of dirty plates and cutlery balancing precariously on top of one another by the sink; the aforementioned sink, filled with washing up bubbles and luke-warm water; an equally large stack of clean plates and cutlery on the draining board; crumbs littering the work-surface; and a cork notice-board dangling from a nail in the wall, fit to burst with parchment - that must be of vital importance to her grandson – held on by brightly coloured drawing pins. Standing up and tutting at her grandson’s lack of expertise when it came to tidying up, Andromeda retrieved her wand from her handbag on the floor, and with a few simple household spells, set the kitchen about tidying itself. 

She wandered over to the notice-board, folding her arms and looking over its contents, something she hadn’t done in a while. There were numerous pieces of parchment with times and dates scribbled on, for what, however, Andromeda couldn’t fathom. There were tickets from various music concerts, and the Quidditch World Cup last year, receipts, random quotes, and the odd doodle. There were quite a few photos on the board as well: one of his parents at their wedding; one of him as a baby; one of herself and him as a toddler; and many of him at Hogwarts. These were all photographs that Andromeda had seen before, and so it was the new one that caught her attention. With hair that wasn’t far short of being fiery red, and brilliant blue eyes, there was no mistaking Victoire Weasley, and it surprised her to find it was the only picture of her grandson’s girlfriend on the whole of the board, which seemed strange considering how long he’d been after her.

Andromeda rolled her eyes as she heard a loud thump and a groan from upstairs, followed by the slamming of a door, and rush of feet running down the stairs. She chuckled, and turned around resting her hip against the counter.

“Morning, Gran,” Teddy Lupin smiled at his grandmother from the doorway, strolling up to her and pecking her on the cheek. “Where’ve all the plates gone?” He looked baffled as he stared at the sink – they’d been there this morning before he went upstairs, and he’d expected them to be there when he got back. Evidently they had other plans.

“I put them away for you. I think they were on the verge of growing mould,” she said, fixing him with her best glare, effectively pinning him to the wall. “Now, are you going to finish getting dressed, or are you going out like that? I wouldn’t recommend it because the Weather Witch said this morning that it’s going to rain. Teddy, I don’t want you catching a cold.”

Teddy rolled his eyes in a spitting imitation of his gran, and picked up the two jumpers he had discarded on the table when entering the kitchen. “You’ve got a choice: green with the big ‘T’, or red with the golden snitches.”

“Well what colour is your hair going to be?” It was currently his natural colour - a light brown just like his fathers – but Andromeda knew from experience that he would change it.

“I dunno. I’m leaning towards turquoise, because Vic likes it, but I’m not sure.”

“Go with the green – it looks nice with your eyes. I’ve got the flowers, and it’s nearly quarter-past-ten,” Andromeda glanced at the picture of Teddy’s mother and father on their wedding day, “so we’d better get going.”

Teddy pulled the Weasley jumper over his head, and screwed up his face in concentration, emerging a moment later with bright turquoise hair that clashed horribly with the emerald green wool. Andromeda didn’t have the heart to tell him. He picked up his satchel and the bouquet of flowers on the table, and stepped into his shoes, smiling sadly at his gran. Grabbing her handbag, the pair headed into the hallway, Teddy checking his hair in the mirror on the wall, and Andromeda retrieving his tweed jacket from the coat-stand. Together they wandered outside onto the street, and after Teddy had locked and sealed his flat with a multitude of charms, they apparated away simultaneously.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Teddy led the way around the outside of the church, the gravel path underfoot crunching as he walked, his gran following him a few paces behind. The flowers were grasped tightly in his hand, and his face was contorted slightly in concentration. Veering off to the right, Teddy skirted between two rows of gravestones, coming to a halt in front of a collection of headstones in the corner of the graveyard. Looking briefly at the golden plaque next to them signalling that the area commemorated those who fell during the second war, he walked straight to the back row, stopping only when he saw the names he had come for.

Nymphadora and Remus Lupin were nestled away in the corner of the graveyard, settled next to a plaque inscribed with the name ‘Sirius Black’. Teddy had heard of him, although only as much as Harry could tell him, which really wasn’t a lot. He crouched down, and carefully laid the flowers on his mother’s grave, vanishing away the dying remains of the last bouquet. Smiling at their names, he lightly rubbed his fingertips along their inscriptions, peeling off the odd piece of moss as he came across it.

“Mum, Dad,” he nodded at each stone in turn, “it’s the first of September again. Doesn’t time fly?” He settled himself on his knees and began to talk, as has been customary since he started Hogwarts. 

Teddy saw his gran wander between the other people, waiting for him to finish. She stood by Fred Weasley’s grave for the longest, probably because it was the most colourful – there were always several bunches of flowers on the grave, along with numerous WWW products. She drifted to the nearest bench and sat down, watching Teddy talk animatedly to his parents, blushing slightly, no doubt talking about Victoire. 

After a suitable period of time Teddy glanced at his watch and stood up, took a deep breath and wiped at his face. He ambled towards his gran, pausing to kiss her forehead and murmur that he’d be over for dinner later in the week. He walked out the way he’d came, apparating away in the same spot as he’d appeared, just as his gran lowered herself to the ground by her daughter to talk.

The hustle and bustle of King’s Cross Station was a striking contrast to the silence of the countryside graveyard Teddy had just visited. He dodged in and out of crowds of people, the thick white fog making visibility difficult, but he managed to find the sign “Platform 9 and ¾” with relative ease – he’d been to the station more times than he could remember. Teddy pulled his bag from his shoulder, dropped it onto the floor and placed his jacket on top. Leaning against the wall he curled his hands into his pockets and gazed up at the clock.

Twenty-to-eleven. He had plenty of time. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Victoire was fast coming to the conclusion that she agreed with Professor Longbottom: that to live you need to breathe, and to breathe you need oxygen – an element she was distinctly lacking at that moment in time.

“Daddy … Daddy … You need to let go …” Bill’s arms loosened slightly but remained in a vice-like grip around her waist, his fingers splayed across her back possessively, and his head bent, cheek resting softly against his oldest daughter’s strawberry blonde hair. Victoire wriggled, trying fruitlessly to get out of his arms but not succeeding. Normally she loved being in her father’s embrace – she often thought it was the safest place in the world – but now it was just embarrassing. She was seventeen not eleven, for Merlin’s sake. It felt like the most natural thing to do in first year, but she’d grown out of the customary Weasley-half-an-hour-hug in fourth year, and she felt no desire to re-acquaint herself with it just because it was her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

When Bill had swept Victoire up in his arms at quarter past ten, there had been little-to-no people on the platform. Now, at half past, it was beginning to teem with people and Bill still hadn’t let go. It was beginning to get uncomfortable, actually. And she couldn’t feel her arms.

“Bill, you ‘ave to let ‘er go. Victoire ‘as to get on ze train soon.” Fleur rolled her eyes at her husband, whilst simultaneously fussing over Juliet, who whilst her sister was beginning her last year at school, she was beginning her first.

“ _Mama_ , you have to stop!” Juliet squirmed in her mother’s arms as a lace handkerchief came flying full force at her face, her mother’s perfect features screwed up in concentration as she rubbed determinedly at an invisible spot of dirt on Juliet’s nose. “Why can’t you fuss over Vic for a while? Anyway,” she pouted, folding her arms across her chest, “I want a hug too, Daddy.”

Fleur expertly arched an eyebrow at her husband, as if daring him to have forgotten his other daughter. He grinned sheepishly over the top of Victoire’s head and slowly unwound her from his arms. Juliet instantly flung herself at her father, squealing in delight as he swung her round in the air, his eyes alight, and brightening up his scarred face. Victoire sighed happily, rubbing at her arms to try and coax her feeling back. Wriggling her fingers, she looked up to see her mother spread her arms, step forwards and curl Victoire up into another hug, although this one was lighter and decidedly more feminine.

“Don’t mind ‘him, Victoire. Your fazzer just cannot bear to see you go. Zis iz ze last time ‘e will ‘ug you goodbye on le premier septembre!” Victoire rolled her eyes, but nodded her head in agreement, allowing her mother to remove herself and begin to scrutinize Victoire’s appearance. Fleur’s critical eye swept over Victoire, taking in the black, pointy heels she insisted it was vital Victoire wear, her daughter’s favourite worn jeans, and a crisp white shirt, over which a royal blue v-neck jumper accented Victoire’s striking peacock blue eyes. A newly polished Head Girl badge sat pinned on her chest, gleaming with pride, just like its owner. Fleur smiled, and Victoire breathed a subtle sigh of relief – the last thing she needed was her mother spending time agonizingly going over every little detail of her outfit, especially as she should be meeting him any time now. Quarter-to-eleven. He said he’d be there, so Victoire began thinking of ways to go and find him, without raising suspicion. Looking over to her right, she squinted into the fog, trying to make out her friends in the crowd – they would be an obvious distraction.

Bingo.

“See you on the train Vic!” Victoire saw her friends jumping onto the train in the distance, hanging out of the compartment waving madly to her. Victoire waved back, but as a wave of fog swam in front of her, she lost sight of them. Turning around, she saw Bill watching her with his arm around Juliet, smiling warmly.

“Go on, go and say hello. Just come back before the train leaves.” Hardly believing her luck, Victoire smiled widely at her father, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. 

“I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

Walking away, she heard her sister call out mischievously, “But aren’t you supposed to be meeting-”

“-Bye, I’ll be back in a bit,” Victoire shouted back pointedly.

Victoire walked a little faster, weaving in and out of the crowd, searching for the sign “Platform 9 and ¾”. She was surprised to find her heart rate quicken at the thought of seeing him again, and the memory of him saying that the next time he saw her he’d make her very pleased to do so, did nothing to slow it down.  


Glancing up at the wall underneath the sign she began to smile. _Talk of the devil._

Leaning against the wall directly underneath the sign, Teddy had his hands dug deep into the pockets of his corduroys, his head ducked bashfully, with his turquoise hair falling into his twinkling amber-brown eyes, the flecks of green accented by his emerald Weasley jumper sporting a huge yellow “T”. As if sensing her presence, Teddy lifted his eyes from the floor by his shoes up to meet hers, and Victoire bit her lip at the way his eyes lit up upon seeing her. Pushing himself off the wall, he picked up his satchel and threw it over his shoulder, twisting it around so it rested on the back of his legs. He then tucked his professor-style tweed jacket through the strap before casually strolling towards Victoire.

Stopping just in front of her, Teddy smiled widely, “Hello.” He looked down at her in that way that always made her feel as if her legs had been hit with a jelly-legs jinx, which only made Victoire smile like a fool.

_Merlin, it was good to see him._   


Victoire was only just registering how close his face was getting to hers when his lips landed softly on hers. Teddy pulled away far too soon – Victoire hadn’t even had time to mess up his hair or even kiss him back – she had just stood stock still with that silly smile on her face.

“Vic …?” Teddy looked concerned as he tucked her hair behind her furiously blushing ears, before kissing her again, this time properly. He smirked as he pulled away, his eyes skirting to her luminous ears in amusement. “Are you okay?” His eyes widened momentarily in panic. “Bill, I mean, Mr Weasley’s not here is he? _Merlin!_ ” Teddy began to crane his neck, avidly searching the crowd for any sign of a long red ponytail and fang earring, obviously scared at the possibility of Bill having seen him kiss Victoire.

Victoire grinned; he was just too cute when flustered. “No, Daddy’s not here – he’s with Mama and Juliet. Back there somewhere.” Victoire gestured vaguely to somewhere behind her, in the thick white fog, looking up at him through her eyelashes. At his disbelieving look, she let out a breath of laughter and added, “He can’t see us.”

Teddy settled his hands on her hips. “Promise?” Victoire nodded her head. “So he wouldn’t know if I did this …?” Teddy’s lips slid over hers, his hands travelling up her spine, and as he deepened the kiss, he threaded his hands softly through her hair. Victoire faintly heard someone wolf-whistle, and so reluctantly she pulled away.

Blinking owlishly for a few moments whilst she regained her focus, Victoire then smiled over Teddy’s shoulder. “Professor Longbottom!” Teddy whirled around, his initial shock replaced with polite smile reserved only for teachers and his gran. 

“Mr Lupin, Miss Weasley,” Neville nodded his head at both of them in turn with a large smirk at home on his lips, his trusted _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ in one hand, and his brief case clasped in the other. He raised his eyebrows at Teddy’s arm draped loosely around Victoire’s waist and smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “So. You two finally became an item then? Took you long enough.”

Victoire and Teddy exchanged a mildly embarrassed glance, and tried to look anywhere but at Neville. 

He swiftly changed the subject, dropping his brief-case to the floor and extending his arm to shake Teddy’s hand. “Good to see you again Teddy, school’s just not the same without you. There’s a couple of boys in fourth year that keep trying to prove they’re better trouble-makers than you, but to be honest, they’re not really a patch on your record.”

Teddy adopted an innocent expression. “What record, sir?” It was too innocent.

Neville laughed at Teddy’s face. “Exactly! You never got caught!”

“Well sir, that must be where they’ve gone wrong.” Neville chuckled again, and Victoire noticed Teddy’s expression change to the same one he always wore when about to tease a teacher. “I’ve been meaning to ask you sir, how’s Hannah? I haven’t had chance to pop in to the pub and say hello recently.” 

It was Neville’s turn to blush. His cheeks inflamed and he mock-glared at Teddy and Victoire who where smiling at his reaction like a pair of Cheshire cats. Teddy had found out during his first year at Hogwarts, that any mention of his professor’s wife would embarrass the Herbology teacher beyond comprehension. Professor Longbottom was quite happy to poke fun at other people’s love lives, but not so confident with his own.

Neville cleared his throat, trying to get his blushing under control. “Well, on that note, I should go and start my rounds. I’ll see you at the feast, Victoire. Good to see you again Teddy.”

He bent down and swiftly picked up his brief-case, before sweeping past the laughing pair, his _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ pulsing slightly, his smirk having returned and playing on his lips as he muttered away to himself.

Teddy laughed again and turned to Victoire, his hand curling softly around her neck. “ _‘Took you long enough!’_ Has everybody been expecting us to get together for ages, or something?”

She glared up at him. 

Teddy bit his lip and began to look sheepish. He gestured for her to elaborate.

“It only took you a year to work out I fancied you, by which time it was practically too late in your eyes anyway, because you were leaving.” She rolled her eyes. “And then it took you a further year to actually work out you’d fallen for me, and that it would be a good idea to ask me out.” She took a deep breath and said in exasperation, “Teddy, I think the answer to your question, is yes: everybody has been expecting us to get together for ages.” Victoire frowned. “I think there was a betting pool at one point too . . .”

“Betting?!” Teddy spluttered. 

“Hmm,” she said, trying not to smile at his expression.

“Wait, let me get this straight – what you’re trying to say, is that people were putting money on how long it would take for me to ask you out?” Victoire nodded, becoming distracted as his thumb absentmindedly stroked her jaw. “So, if I’d got my finger out, and started paying more attention to what’s right in front of my nose, then . . .”

 “Yep. It’s all your fault, Teddy.” Victoire slipped her eyes shut, and leaned into his hand.

“Somehow I thought it would be,” he mumbled, as he dropped his lips onto Victoire’s.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“What are you doing?”

Victoire tore her swollen lips away from Teddy, and laughed, as he closed his eyes and dropped his head onto her shoulder with a huff of disappointment.

“What’s it look like I’m doing, James? What d’you want, anyway?” Teddy began to kiss Victoire again.

“Nothing. I’m just looking for my mates.” James looked curiously at the woman Teddy was kissing. “ _Vic_?”

“Salut, James. Ça va?” inquired Victoire, speaking in French to accent her annoyance. She had pulled away from Teddy slightly to speak, but wrapped her arms tighter around Teddy’s neck and continued to kiss him when she’d finished.

“Good, thanks . . . Teddy, look, that’s disgusting.” James screwed up his nose and cocked his head to one side. “Teddy . . . you’re actually eating Vic’s face.”

Victoire opened her eyes to see Teddy taking a deep breath and mentally counting to ten. “Trust me, James, when you get to my age you really won’t think kissing a girl is that bad.”

“Wait a minute,” Victoire untangled herself from Teddy and smirked at James. “What about that girl in Ravenclaw you followed around last year, Teddy? Abi something-or-other. Don’t you fancy her?” 

James clenched his jaw. “That’s completely off topic. What are you doing here Teddy? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Yeah, but I took the morning off.” James looked confused. “So I could see my girlfriend off.”

The knut finally dropped. “Oh my God! Are you two going out?” James all but yelled, looking ready to squeal with excitement, but a swift glance to the left at some girls in his year made him change his tune. He ruffled up his hair and said with a deliberately deeper voice, “well, you know, that’s cool.” He winked at the girls, causing an outbreak of giggles and blushing.

Teddy grinned widely at James, “so which one’s Abi?”

“Oh, shut up!” James glared at Teddy as Victoire laughed. “I’m going to tell my Dad about you, so _there_!” He turned around into the mist, and ran in the same direction as he’d come in.

“That’s not going to make much difference because he already knows!” Teddy called after James.

Rolling his eyes at the oldest Potter, Teddy looked down at his watch, his father’s own and a gift from his gran on his seventeenth birthday. 

“It’s nearly eleven, you should probably get on the train,” said Teddy, as Victoire wrapped her fingers around his, and began dragging him towards the train.

“Come on, then. You said you’d see me off,” she batted her eyelashes girlishly at him, in the hope that he’d follow.

Teddy looked slightly panicked, but he followed all the same. “But Vic, your Dad will be there! He hates me!”

Weaving in and out of the crowd, Victoire shook her head, and said, “don’t be silly, Teddy. He loves you!”

He let out a soft breath of disbelieving laughter, and tried to smarten up his hair, wondering if he should morph it into a more respectable colour or just leave it as it was. Victoire let go of his hand abruptly, and tapped her father on the shoulder. _When_ Bill had appeared, Teddy had no idea: he’d been too busy fretting over whether he looked alright; what to say and do when he came into contact with him; and trying not to fall over his own feet in the process.

Teddy swallowed, and stood to one side, giving Victoire a chance to say goodbye to her mother. Bill was fussing over Victoire and Juliet to a certain extent, but his eyes were fixed on Teddy, glaring for all he was worth.

“Mr Weasley, good to see you!” said Teddy jovially, thrusting his sweaty palm towards Bill. Bill looked down at Teddy’s outstretched arm, and then back up to Teddy, a look of loathing highlighting every scar on his face. Teddy let his arm fall to his side, trying not to be too disappointed at Bill’s hostility. As if sensing the tension, Victoire stopped talking rapidly to her mother in French, and enveloped her father in a hug, luckily not hearing Teddy’s sigh of relief. He could make out snippets of their conversation, and so he took to fiddling with his jacket, bouncing on the balls of his feet and starting to whistle an old Weird Sisters song that had been on the WWN that morning.

When he looked up again, Victoire had a tear slipping down her cheek, and she had both of her father’s hands grasped in hers. She gave him a watery smile, and let go, before turning to Teddy.

A shrill whistle pierced through the air, causing Victoire to jump on Teddy, wrapping her legs and arms around him in a giant bear-hug. Her head was nestled in the juncture where his neck met his shoulder, and he could hear her breathing near his ear.

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, so quietly he almost missed it.

“Ditto,” he smiled, and kissed the side of her face softly.

She clambered down, and looked up at him intently, “You better write me, at least once a week, and you better be in Hogsmeade on every weekend I’m there.”

“I promise. Now get on the train, or your Dad will actually kill me if you miss it.”

Victoire laughed and gave him one last fleeting kiss, and then climbed aboard the train after Juliet, shutting the door behind her.

“Don’t get into too much trouble without me,” Teddy joked, finally coming to the realisation that he wouldn’t see her for at least a month.

“I’ll try not to,” she grinned, stopping upon the look she received from her father.

“Victoire, I,” Teddy’s voice cracked slightly and he closed his eyes briefly, wondering if now was really the best time – they’d only been together a few months. 

“Teddy?”

The station masters began to slam the remaining doors shut, and silence descended upon the platform. Victoire was still waiting.

_Oh sod it._

“I love you.”

A sharp intake of breath from behind told him Bill had been listening in, and the heavy weight of the oldest Weasley’s over-protective fatherly glare bore into the back of his head uncomfortably. But for the moment, Teddy didn’t care what Bill thought, even though he knew he’d be in trouble the moment his girlfriend was out of sight, he only cared what said girlfriend thought. Holding her gaze confidently, but becoming increasingly more nervous as time went on, he waited for an answer. Victorie’s eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging agape with obvious shock. If he wasn’t so nervous, Teddy would have laughed at her comical expression.

“Je t’adore, aussi!”

Letting out an unbelieving breath of laughter, Teddy grinned for all he was worth, and lifted his right hand in a half-salute, half-wave. The Hogwarts Express slowly began to move. He let her last words play over in his mind as he walked along next the train, losing it as it picked up speed. Victoire waved harder as the train picked up speed, and just as it turned the corner she shouted the same phrase, “Je t’adore, aussi!”

_‘Je t’adore, aussi.’_ He didn’t have to speak French to work that one out.

Teddy turned and began to walk back the way he had came, stopping only when the familiar sound of a man deliberately clearing his throat startled him slightly, before an over-whelming sense of dread washed over him.

_Oh. God._   


“So . . .” Teddy winced and swallowed, suddenly wanting the ground to open up and swallow him. Pulling himself together he swivelled around to face the man and ran a shaking hand though his shaggy turquoise hair.

“Hello again, sir,” said Teddy, surprising himself with how steady his voice sounded. He swallowed again, beginning to cower slightly under Bill’s unwavering gaze. Obviously sensing Teddy’s discomfort in the situation, someone began to snigger, before trying to unsuccessfully turn it into a cough. Tearing his eyes from the blue ones the exact same shade as Victoire’s, Teddy threw an annoyed glance in his godfather’s direction, immediately sobering the older man up and earning him a slap on the shoulder from his red-haired wife. Harry winked, the action exposing a glimpse of a lightening-bolt shaped scar peaking out from beneath his fringe. Focusing his attention back to his potential father-in-law, Teddy smiled in what he hoped was a winning way, namely the infamous Teddy Lupin “You love me and don’t really want to give me detention / ground me / beat me up for loving your daughter” smile.

Bill’s glare just intensified.

_Damn._   


Smile faltering, Teddy began to panic slightly.

“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” As soon as the words left his mouth Teddy regretted saying them. _It’s a life and death situation, Lupin, a form of Russian Roulette with Bill Weasley and you comment on the weather. Wonderful._

“But Teddy,” Lily Potter started in a stage whisper. “It’s raining kneazles and nifflers outside.” She glanced Hugo, stood next to her, and he nodded curtly at her, gripping his umbrella in one hand, and his father’s hand in the other. His eyes darted back and forth from Bill to Teddy and back again, desperately trying to work out why his father was on the verge of hysterical laughter.

Bill folded his arms as a smug expression crossed his scarred features. He knew exactly what he was doing to Teddy. And he knew that Teddy knew that he knew. The corners of his mouth began to tug into a satisfied smile.

Silence descended on the three families and Teddy; the only sounds in the station coming from the remaining few families chatting as they prepared to go back through the barrier or apparate away, and the heavy pattering of constant rainfall on the roof, which would have been deafening, had spells not been in place to muffle the sound. Teddy winced for the second time that day – why could he never say anything right when it came to Bill? Apparently his mother had been the same when meeting his father’s mother. The thought that he was not the only one to say ridiculous things in such situations encouraged him slightly. With his new found ounce of confidence, Teddy stood a little straighter and regarded Bill with his best responsible expression and prompted,

“Is something the matter, sir? Is there anything I should know about?” he said, brow furrowing slightly. “Is there something wrong with Mrs Weasley … Juliet … _Victoire_?” Teddy trailed off feeling resigned and marginally worried. Throughout his questions, Bill had remained stony and unfriendly as ever, his demeanour cold and uninviting.

“Lupin,” his voice was hard and strong. “Do you _really_ love my daughter? Or are you just saying it? Is it some kind of joke to you?”

Teddy grinned and let out a snort of laughter before he could stop himself. He stopped at the look he received. “I mean, of course I love Victoire. I’m not just saying it. This definitely isn’t some kind of joke, Merlin, I wouldn’t have said it otherwise. She means the world to me.”

“I see. And does my daughter know this?” Bill’s eyes narrowed and he regarded Teddy shrewdly.

“Well … yeah … of course she does.” A slow smile crept across Teddy’s face.

“Really? And does she _really_ love you back?” Bill appeared to growl as he spoke. The fang dangling from Bill’s ear was beginning to look rather menacing. 

“I hope so.”

Bill looked mildly shocked at Teddy’s boldness, and cleared his throat.

“Let me know. We’ll discuss . . . you, Victoire, and you and Victoire.” He gave Teddy one last once over, before kissing his wife on the cheek and muttering in her ear, nodding at everyone else in turn, and then marching towards the exit, his cloak billowing behind him.

Teddy, meanwhile, was stood stock still, staring at the place where Bill had been moments before, trying to process what Bill had said. The overall gist, he thought, was good – Bill hadn’t attempted to kill him, revealed a secret desire to kill him, or hired someone to kill him. Pretty good. In a way, Teddy had been given a chance to try and regain Bill’s trust and respect – just like he had before Bill had been replaced with Mr Over-Protective.

An expensive flowery scent invaded Teddy’s nostrils, and in returning back to Earth, Teddy noticed Fleur standing in front of him. He hadn’t heard her move, so it came as a shock to him to see her so close. Shaking himself he addressed her politely, radiating his Lupin charm.

“Morning, Mrs Weasley. May I say how lovely you look today?” Shooting the part-veela a charming smile, Teddy was surprised to see her blush slightly, and smile up at him, exposing a row of perfect pearly white teeth.

“You sound just like your fazzer, always ze gentleman.” Teddy grinned – those kind of comparisons weren’t hard to come by, but they were bloody good compliments all the same. 

Leaning closer, Fleur lifted herself up onto her toes and rested her hands softly on Teddy’s shoulders for balance. Her breath tickled his ear as she spoke softly, “’Ee will come ‘round. Just give ‘im time. ‘Ee likes you, but ’e doesn’t like you taking ‘is Victoire away from ‘im. Everyzing will work out, trust me.” An encouraging twinkle had set itself up in her eyes, and Teddy felt warmed by her words. She kissed both his cheeks lightly before sweeping out of the station, capturing and holding men’s gazes throughout the station as she appeared to glide through the barrier.

A long silence filled up the space left by Fleur’s departure. 

“Well,” Ginny clasped her hands together in an attempt to break the silence. “That was very serious wasn’t it?” She smiled down at Hugo and Lily, who grinned back eagerly waiting for what Ginny was about to say. “It’s half eleven, so what do you say we apparate over to Diagon Alley and have a quick look in Quality Quidditch Supplies before we go out for lunch?” Ginny grinned widely, as Ron’ and Harry’s faces lit up.

Teddy adopted his infamous ‘Victoire Smile’ and settled into deep thought as his surrogate family discussed the afternoon’s plans.

Hermione pursed her lips, “Quality Quidditch Supplies, Ginny? Any particular reason?” Ginny shifted from one foot to the other, refusing to meet Hermione’s eyes knowing she’d been rumbled.

“’Mione, come on, the new, improved and completely reinvented Cleansweep 800 has just been released! In one shop in the country!” Ron’s eyes were wide with excitement, clearly not understanding why his wife didn’t share his enthusiasm. 

“0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds, complete with add on features depending on which position you play,” Ginny added, as if hoping it would persuade Hermione that looking at a broomstick was more educational that reading a book, and admiring one was a much better way to spend an hour, or two.

Lily immediately caught on. “Can we see it?” Lily hopped up and down in front of her mother. “Please?” Ginny just nodded towards Hermione, and Lily began her tirade on her aunt, eventually wearing her down.

“Fine! We’ll go look at the silly broomstick!”

“Silly?! Mum, it’s the Cleansweep 800!”

“Not you as well, Hugo,” Hermione snapped. She looked exasperated at the lack of support. “Harry, Teddy, are you coming as well?” Her patience was clearly wearing thin. “Well?”

“We’ll catch up with you,” Harry replied, and waited for the others to leave before speaking up properly. Concern was evident in his eyes. “You okay, Teddy? You kind of zoned out for a bit then.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just y’know … thinking.”

“Careful,” Harry joked, chuckling. “Try not to injure yourself.” 

Teddy snorted, and said sarcastically, “hilarious, Harry, you really out-did yourself with that one.” Teddy smiled, and Harry laughed at the sarcasm, before stopping, the crease of concern between his eyes returning. 

“Seriously though, Teddy. Anything you need to talk about?”

“Yeah, but it can wait.” He took a deep breath, “the Cleansweep 800 awaits us!” Sniggering together they ambled towards the apparition point, discussing the pro’s and con’s of the latest broom to hit the shops, all elements of seriousness gone from their conversation, falling back into their light, easy banter.

Teddy looked back into the station as Harry apparated away to Diagon Alley. Thinking of Victoire, he bit his lip and grinned – when had he got so lucky?

Pulling his wand from his back pocket, Teddy prepared to apparate, squeezing his eyes shut and beginning to rotate on the spot. He disappeared moments later with a quiet crack.

All was well. All was well indeed.

 


End file.
